Online Smart School

An 8 year old boy throws a temper tantrum – albeit a somewhat dangerous one, where he pulls wood off the walls, and the police come in and pepper spray him.

What do you think? To spray or not to spray?

Story: Police pepper spray 8-year old

I came across this blog post written by one of our students, Angie S., sharing her experience attending high school at Minnesota Virtual Academy.

And a big THANKSgoes out to Angie herself, for taking the time to share her experience!

Wedding planning – a never ending job. Theres always something else on the list! 

Every trip to San Francisco since September (theres been five!),  has had back to back meetings and events. Im excited to announced that many of the the wedding big-ticket items are done.

Venue – check.

Photographer – check.

Florist – check.

THE DRESS – check.

Bridesmaid dresses – check.

Engagement photos – selected, but need to be ordered.

Catering check.

Invite list including addresses check!

Ceremony musician check.

Save the dates in transit to Chicago
 
Wedding website almost done.

Wedding hotel blocks booked.

On one hand, I review the list and feel accomplished. Theres 7 months left before the big day. However, there are a number of other items I want to get done and I know those 7 months are going to fly. With 7 weddings to attend, next year already has a number of busy weekends. Plus, Im in 4 of the weddings (including my own), which means, bachelorette parties (wee!!) and bridal showers (yay). Its going to be an expensive year.

My other fear is that now I need to get into the details. With spreadsheets, Im incredibly detail oriented, but centerpieces are a completely different ballgame. Is it important to me to have one silverware design over another? I have no idea. Plus, now I need to think about the little things that just make the event pophmm.

Still on the big list:

Alcohol started discussions with the venue.

Limo – havent even started looking.

DJ – waiting for a response.

Photobooth – investigation needed.

Bachelorette party list – in process.

Linens and table settings meeting scheduled.

I know Im missing something(s), just not sure what they are right now.

This is the latest of the blogs dealing with the vexed matter of motivation. A recap: I’ve been musing on the 10 Commandments of Motivation as categorised by two top Hungarians, Zoltan Dornyei and Kata Czizer, and wondering what their practical ramifications might be. In some senses, I’ve left the most interesting two till last. One is the imperative to create a pleasant relaxed atmosphere in the classroom. This is about the physical properties of the classroom, by the way, and not so much about the human relationships inside it – though one way of looking at it is to think about how the classroom atmosphere can facilitate good relationships and an atmosphere conducive to learning.

I’m loath to provide any recipes here as so much depends on the context you’re working in and, for example, the physical condition of a classroom in a state university in my part of post-communist Europe is very different from the state-of-the-art hi-tech private schools students might be in. But atmospheres can always be better and there is a framework to think about them provided by the senses. Why? Well, we know enough from research to have, to say the least, strong suspicions that brains do not thrive in environments with a narrow range of stimuli. In plainer English, poorly kept classrooms inhibit learning. I should say here I’m relying on one of my favourite books on this area – it’s Using Brainpower in the Classroom: 5 Steps to Accelerate Learning by Steve Garnett, and it says some hugely useful things about the classroom environment.

One place to start is with the display. I’m a great believer in displaying students’ work, even that of adults . It’s not just about self-esteem, though seeing your work displayed is likely to increase that. There are also important learning points here. Writing should always be for an audience, and displaying writing gives any bit of work a wider audience than just the teacher. The posters that come with English File can be enormously useful too. If they are legible from anywhere in the room and positioned at eye-level, long term recall of their learning points can be as high as 75%. If we replace these learning displays frequently, then obviously more knowledge can be learnt, almost passively, in this way.

Displays also provide a splash of colour. Now I’m a bit cynical about some of the wackier claims made for colour – but that maybe comes with the territory of being grumpy and middle-aged, and even I accept that dabs of colour provide necessary stimulus.

The other easy way into sensory stimulation is through the ears. Like the man said, music has charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak… or in classroom terms it can shape atmospheres. Just giving students control of the music to be played at break time is one easy way of changing dynamics. Some claims about the effect of music go further– there are those who have it that listening to Mozart, for example, will raise the IQ, create fertile brains and promote creativity. Even if you’re sceptical about this stuff, it still makes sense that baroque music can create calm, drown out white noise, and if your students are doing writing maybe even promote that sense of relaxed alertness we need to get ideas flowing.

In other spheres those who’ve got a commercial interest in altering people’s moods use different smells to do so. Somewhere there may be a teacher who brings in cinnamon-scented incense to create a relaxed atmosphere. But for me, it’s enough to think about what the walls of my classroom look like, and how it sounds.

The Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University has named Soumitra Dutta its 11th dean, effective July 1, 2012. Dutta comes to Johnson after a 22-year tenure at INSEAD, in roles such as dean of external relations, dean of technology and e-learning, and most recently, founder and academic director of the eLab.  Dean Dutta has also served as visiting professor at the Haas School at Berkeley and the Judge School at the University of Cambridge. This appointment makes Dutta the first dean from a non-U.S. business school to be hired by a major U.S. business school.

Dutta is considered an expert on the impact of new technology, like social media and networking, on the business world. Professor Duttas appointment is a natural fit with Johnsons increasingly global outlook, said Cornell President David J. Skorton, in a press release this morning. CEO and chairman of S.C. Johnson, H. Fisk Johnson, believes Duttas global focus and outstanding research in the areas of innovation and technology position him well to lead the school today and in the future.

Often times new solos are afraid to publicly ask the important questions about starting a solo practice because they are concerned others will mock them for not knowing what is often considered basic. Jared Correia hears these questions all day long, often times two and three times in the same day. We thought it would be very beneficial to have a discussion with Jared so he could answer these newbie questions (which, quite frankly, more seasoned lawyers could benefit from, as well!) in a podcast which can be bookmarked, saved and listened to as often as you like. If you are a new lawyer in Massachusetts or a paying member of the Massachusetts bar, be sure to connect with Jared. LOMAPs services are free for those who qualify.

The audio is about 53 minutes. Listen or download directly below. New Solo FAQs with Jared Correia

Jared D. Correia, Esq., is Law Practice Management Advisor at MassLOMAP (Massachusetts Law Office Management Practice). Prior to joining LOMAP, he was the Publications Attorney for the Massachusetts Bar Association (“MBA”). He was the first Publications Attorney for the MBA, and established the continuing legal education publication protocols and standards. In addition to overseeing the MBA’s CLE Publications, he also managed the MBA’s version of Casemaker, an online legal research product provided free of charge to MBA members. Prior to joining the MBA, Mr. Correia was a private practice attorney, working in the areas of general practice and disability law, in small firms on the Southcoast, North of Boston and just outside of Boston. Mr. Correia’s general practice encompassed a diverse range of legal subjects, including the handling of administrative hearings, personal injury law, family law, tax law and property law matters. Mr. Correia is active in raising funds for cancer research and has founded a charitable organization to benefit autistic children. He is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School and Saint Anselm College, where he was a captain of the Saint Anselm College Debate Team that finished second nationally in 2000.

Connect with Jared on . You can also follow LOMAP on Facebook, visit the website or read the blog.